


PROM-2

by quicksilver_nightsky



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Android Cor, Android Prompto, Ardyn Isn’t Evil, Claustrophobia, Godfather Ardyn, Grief, M/M, Modern AU, Replacements, identity crisis
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-11
Updated: 2019-01-12
Packaged: 2019-10-08 03:32:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,120
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17378777
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/quicksilver_nightsky/pseuds/quicksilver_nightsky
Summary: “You can’t just replace my best friend with a shiny new android that looks exactly the same and has all the same functions, Ardyn! It doesn’t work like that!”“Nonsense, Noct. PROM-2 will operate exactly how PROM-1 did. With some additional combative functions so you won’t lose him so quickly this time.”“He’s not the same!”





	1. Initialising

**Author's Note:**

> I’ve been playing too much Nier:Automata and then I read Poor Wayfaring Stranger and this happened. 
> 
> Sorry not sorry.

BOOTING SYSTEM: PERSONNEL RECREATION OPERATIONS MODEL UNIT 2.   
INITIALISING…  
RUNNING BIOS...  
ATTENTION: FIRST BOOT UP.   
RUNNING FULL DIAGNOSTIC…  
/Cardiopulmonary Functions: Automatic 100%  
/Internal Temperature Regulatory System: 100%  
/Central Nervous System: 100%  
/Cognitive Processor: 100%  
/Emotional Processor: 100%  
/Short Term Memory Storage: at 0% Capacity   
/Long Term Memory Storage: Active, Disenaged   
DIAGNOSTIC COMPLETE  
RUNNING PROMDOS…  
/Language Lexicons: Lucian, 100% Fluency. Niflheim, 100% Fluency. Tennebraen, 50% Fluency  
/Personnel Index: 100%   
/Encyclopedic Information Index: 100%  
/Mathematic Cognition: [Error.] Limited Function   
/Language Comprehension: Fully Functional  
/Visual Comprehension: Fully Functional  
/Musical Comprehension: Capped at Limited Function  
/Spatial Awareness: Maximized Capacity  
/Human Empathy: Fully Functional  
/Imagination: Capped at Limited Function  
RUNNING OS…  
RUNNING OS SYSTEMS CHECK…  
/Social Customs and Expectations: Functional  
/Default Humour Setting: Randomized Variety  
/Emotional Processing Program: Functional  
RUNNING START UP PROGRAMS…  
ENGAGING SENSES…  
/PROPRIOCEPTIVE… COMPLETE  
/VESTIBULAR… COMPLETE  
/TACTILE… COMPLETE  
/AUDITORY… COMPLETE  
/OLFACTORY… COMPLETE  
/GUSTATORY… COMPLETE  
/VISUAL… COMPLETE

GOOD MORNING PROM-2

  


PROM-2 blinked open his eyes, looking around. Through the open door of his storage unit, he could see two men looking at him. One tall and muscular, with a tattoo of an eagle in dark ink. The other a few inches shorter, athletically thin, with glasses. A quick check of his personnel index informed him they were Gladiolus Amicitia and Ignis Scientia.

“Uh. Hi.”

“Prom?” The muscular one asked uncertainly. 

Okay. What did he do with this situation? The social customs stated that you introduced himself. So. He should do that. “Hello. I am Personnel Recreation Operations Model unit 2. PROM-2 is the standard acronym.”

“We can’t let Noct find out,” Ignis Scientia said decisively. “I don’t know what Ardyn was thinking.”

“I never know what he’s thinking,” Gladiolus Amicitia muttered. He started to close the opening of PROM-2’s storage unit. 

“Wait!” PROM-2 said, his emotional processor flaring up. “Don’t close that…” He struggled against the travel safety restraints around his wrists and torso. 

“I’m sorry, Uh, PROM-2. We’ll come back and deal with you soon.”

The storage unit sealed with a hiss and the emotional processor engaged his vocal chords in a shout of ‘panic’. It was too dark in here, the padding of the storage unit too close. But he knew the unit was soundproof, and Gladiolus Amicitia and Ignis Scientia would not be able to hear his cries of help. 


	2. Noct

PROM-2 spent his time studying deep aspects of his Encyclopedic Index. Learning intricate knowledge about how to repair basic mechanics and write code. He ended up having to switch off his visual sense and emotional program to stop his emotional processor from going haywire. 

Then he heard the hiss of the storage unit being unsealed. He quickly engaged his visual sense and gasped as he saw light. It was Ignis Scientia again. 

“Please!” He begged, “let me out! Let me out!”

Ignis Scientia frowned. “You seem quite distressed, Prom, Uh. PROM-2. Did you have a nightmare?” 

He only made a confused noise. Nightmare. _A nightmare, also called a bad dream, is an unpleasant dream that can cause a strong emotional response from the mind, typically fear but also despair, anxiety and great sadness._

“I wasn’t asleep,” he answered. “Please let me out.” 

Ignis Scientia reached into the storage unit and began unfastening his restraints. As soon as they were undone, PROM-2 shoved past him and rushed to a window where he could get fresh air and sunlight. 

Code, it was beautiful outside. The window looked out a city — it was night time and all the lights lit up like the stars had fallen onto the ground. 

“Are you quite well, PROM-2?” Ignis Scientia asked. 

“Yeah. I think so. Now.” He took a deep breath and turned around to face Ignis Scientia. “Thank you.” 

Ignis Scientia frowned slightly, pushing up his spectacles. “You’re welcome.” He sat down on an armchair, crossing his ankle over his knee. “Come sit. I have to have inform you of some things.” 

Uncertain, PROM-2 came over to a sofa and sat down awkwardly. Sitting. Okay. He knew how, in a variety of ways, but it was clear his body had never been arranged in this particular fashion. The muscles felt strange. 

“I must inform you that it a not possible for you to stay here.” 

He jolted physically, his emotional software reacting again. To panic, but not in a clear way that gave him a reason why. “Why not?”

“Did they explain to you why you were being sent here?” Ignis Scientia asked. 

He searched his assignment parameters. “To befriend Noct.” He blinked a few times. “Who’s Noct?”

Ignis Scientia pushed up his spectacles again. “It is not that simple. Noct had the first PROM unit. They were close companions for years.”

“Okay?” He echoed, trying to line up that fact for a reason why he couldn’t stay. 

“You were sent by the same person who gifted him the previous unit, I suspect as a kind of replacement.”

“Replacement,” PROM-2 echoed. “Why? What happened to PROM-1?”

Ignis Scientia looked sad. “He was was with Noct when they were attacked by some daemons. Prom didn’t survive the attack.”

“Oh.” He blocked the empathy function before it could overwhelm his emotional software. 

“It would be very emotionally distressing for Noct to see you, you can understand that, yes?” Ignis Scientia questioned. 

He nodded, bowing his head. “Okay. So I can’t fulfil my assignment.”

“I think it would be best if we returned you to the facility whence you came,” Ignis Scientia said calmly. 

Another burst of unexplained panic. “Logical.”

“...but?” Ignis Scientia prompted. 

“I didn’t intend to continue my sentence using the conjunction ‘but’,” he replied. “Your proposal is sound and I have no logical arguments to counter.”

“And non-logical ones?” Ignis Scientia pressed, quirking an eyebrow at him. 

“I don’t want to go back to the facility. I want to stay here and befriend Noct.”

Ignis Scientia’s lips quirked up in a smile. “Despite the facts I’ve just informed you of, you still desire to befriend Noct?”

He nodded. “Of course I do. It’s what I was programmed for. But…” He paused, considered the additional motives behind the decision. “I don’t desire to replace the original PROM,” he stated carefully. “But Noct lost his friend. He must be lonely without him. I can’t replace him, but maybe I can help fill the void he left behind.”

“That’s… that’s very admirable.” Ignis Scientia took off his spectacles to begin polishing the lenses, though PROM-2 couldn’t detect any stains that would impede his vision. “But you must understand…”

The door burst open and PROM-2 turned to look at it before the intruder stepped in. He felt all his functions momentarily stall before they kicked back into life. He knew instantly that this was Noct. The purpose for his life. He’d never forget the exact shade of his eyes, he felt like he already knew it. And how soft his hair must be to touch. The sound of his laugh. 

But he wasn’t laughing now. His expression was cold and furious. “Specs, what the _hell_ is going on?”

“Noct,” Ignis Scientia replied, his voice calm and reassuring. “Try and remain calm so I can explain the situation.”

“Calm!” Noct snapped. “I thought I saw Prom in the window and I come up here to find— to find—” He gestured in a movement that encompassed PROM-2 and his storage unit.”— **this**!”

“May I introduce PROM-2?”

“Prom _pto_?” Noct repeated, mishearing Ignis Scientia’s Tennebraen accent. 

“No, PROM-2. As in, the second model.”

“ _Second model_?” Noct demanded, outraged. “Is this some kind of joke? How **dare** you—”

“There’s no need to get angry with me, Noct,” Ignis Scientia interrupted coolly. “Ardyn had the package delivered yesterday. Gladio and I didn’t know what it was until we opened it up.”

“Ardyn!” Noct hissed, hands balling into fists. “What did I do wrong to deserve a godfather like him?”

“It was probably meant kindly, if ill-conceived.”

Noct turned away, jaw clenched tightly. “Send it back. I’m not having it here.”

“He.” It was when Noct whirled to look at him with outraged eyes that PROM-2 realised he’d spoken. “It’s against the social customs to interrupt you while you’re talking, but I thought it was necessary. My assigned pronouns are ‘he/him’, not ‘it’.”

“Apologies, PROM-2,” Ignis Scientia said calmly, “how impolite of us.”

“Get Ardyn on the phone,” Noct snapped, turning on his heel and stomping towards the door. “I’m going to give him a piece of my mind!” He slammed it hard behind him, and Ignis Scientia flinched. 

“I ought to go after him. You’ll settle yourself, PROM-2?”

He nodded. “Yeah. I’ll be fine.” Ignis Scientia stood and left the room. PROM-2 sighed in relief, pushing out of his boots and lying back on the sofa. 

At least they hadn’t shut him up inside the unit again. Small mercies. 


	3. Ardyn Lucis Caelum

RUNNING STANDBY MODE PROCEDURES   
/Cardiopulmonary Functions: Automatic Limited  
/Internal Temperature Regulatory System: Minimizing Internal Temperature  
/Central Nervous System: Limited  
/Cognitive Processor: Limited  
/Emotional Processor: Limited  
TRANSFERING SHORT TERM MEMORY DATA TO LONG TERM STORAGE… COMPLETE  
CLEARING TEMPORARY FILES… COMPLETE  
INDEXING LEARNED INFORMATION… COMPLETE  
ASSESSING SOFTWARE FOR ANOMALIES… COMPLETE  
UPLOADING MEMORY DATA TO EXTERNAL SERVER… ERROR. NOT COMPLETE   
RECHARGING INTERNAL BATTERY… COMPLETE  
STANDBY PROCEDURES COMPLETE   
TIME ELAPSED: 6 HOURS, 12 MINUTES  
RESTORING MAXIMUM FUNCTION  
ENGAGING SENSES…   
/PROPRIOCEPTIVE… COMPLETE   
/VESTIBULAR… COMPLETE   
/TACTILE… COMPLETE   
/AUDITORY… COMPLETE   
/OLFACTORY… COMPLETE   
/GUSTATORY… COMPLETE   
/VISUAL… COMPLETE 

GOOD MORNING PROM-2 

PROM-2 blinked awake. He stood from the sofa and tested out his motor functions fully. There was a discomfort anomaly in his neck, most likely from sleeping without proper lumbar support. He flexed in counterpoint to the discomfort to ease the strain. 

His audio senses picked up footsteps and human voices nearby and he turned towards the door in expectation. 

It opened to submit Noct and an unknown adult human male. He checked the personnel index: _Ardyn Lucis Caelum, Noct’s godfather, ambassador to Lucis in the Niflheim Kingdom_. 

Ardyn. He remembered that name. Ignis Scientia and Noct has been talking about him yesterday. He was the one Noct was angry with — the one who had sent PROM-2 to Noct. 

Ardyn Lucis Caelum looked PROM-2 up and down, then turned to Noct. “Yes, this is the replacement model I ordered for you. He looks to be in working order. What’s the issue?”

“The _issue_ ,” Noct snapped, agitated, “is that you sent me him at all!”

“I fail to grasp your point, Noct,” Ardyn Lucis Caelum responded. “Your Android was beyond repair, so the only option was to commission a new model.”

Noct bunched his hands into fists. “You can’t just replace my best friend with a shiny new android that looks exactly the same and has all the same functions, Ardyn!” he snapped. “It doesn’t work like that!”

“Nonsense, Noct. PROM-2 will operate exactly how PROM-1 did. With some additional combative functions so you won’t lose him so quickly this time.”

“He’s not the same!” Noct protested. 

“His black box was too far disintegrated by the time I learned of the shut down to recover his long term memories,” Ardyn Lucis Caelum said — the tone of voice making it sounding like he was agreeing with Noct. “But his personality parameters were lifted exactly.”

Which, hey, PROM-2 didn’t actually know before. But it made sense. He thought he’d been installed with the same program — and now he knew it had been lifted from the black box of PROM-1.

“Just because he’s programmed the same way, doesn’t make him the same person!” Noct shouted. “Prom _died_ ,” he said, his voice cracking. “He’s gone.”

“That’s the benefit of having Android companions, Noct. You don’t need to grieve for them, they can be remade.”

“It’ll never be him. Not really.” Noct grit his teeth. 

“I’ve no time to get into a philosophical discussion with you, Noct,” Ardyn Lucis Caelum said, sounding bored. “He’s an Android. Not a person. If you don’t want him, send him back.”

Ardyn Lucis Caelum walked out of the room again. PROM-2 watched him go. “Well,” he deadpanned. “Hello to you too.”

A surprised huff of a laugh escaped Noct’s lips, but when PROM-2 glanced at him, he looked hurt. Maybe he was upset with himself for laughing at one of PROM-2’s jokes. 

Noct rearranged his expression so it was carefully blank. “What are you doing out of the capsule, anyway?” He asked. “I thought you’d be asleep.”

“I finished my standby tasks shortly before you and Ardyn Lucis Caelum entered the room,” PROM-2 explained. 

“...right. Well. Fine. That’s fine.” Noct lingered for a moment, looking at him. “I’m gonna go. You just… stay in here.”

He nodded. He would’ve liked to look around a bit, but if Noct wanted him to stay in this sitting room then he would. 

Noct looked at him again, then hurriedly turned on his heel and walked out. 

PROM-2 settled himself down onto the sofa again. He idled for half an hour or so before his emotional program got ‘bored’. With a sigh, he searched his index for possible methods of entertainment. 

He ended up downloading a simple game called ‘Justice Monsters V’, and began to play that while he waited. He rested his head back against the seatback and closed his eyes, redirecting his visual sense to display the game graphics. 

That should keep him occupied until someone returned. 


	4. Warning. Warning.

“…PROM-2?”

He jolted. The noise of the game overlaying his audio sense meant he hadn’t heard approaching footsteps. He quickly paused the game and adjusted the input of his visual sense to his ocular sensor. “Ignis Scientia,” he greeted with a wide smile. “I didn’t notice you come in.”

Ignis Scientia looked concerned. “What were you doing?”

“Playing a computer game,” he answered. 

“How?” Ignis Scientia questioned. 

“I downloaded it over cellular data and switched my visual sense over to the game’s graphics,” PROM-2 explained. 

Ignis Scientia’s green eyes blinked at him from behind the clean lenses of his spectacles. “You can do that?”

“Yes?” PROM-2 answered, surprised by his question. 

“…could Prom do that?” Ignis Scientia questioned. 

“I’d think so. Would you like me to check the version update logs?” He offered. 

Ignis Scientia looked momentarily uncomfortable. “…no thank you.” He shifted. “Noct asked me to come inform you that you will be returned to the facility.”

All the support muscles in his abdomen area clenched. A bright warning flashed across his visual sense alerting him to the fact that there was an unexpected error in his cardiopulmonary function. 

“H-he did, Huh?” His verbal software was malfunctioning too. He manually restarted the verbal software, swallowing. “C-can’t say I’m surprised.” Still malfunctioning. The cardiopulmonary function was still having an error, despite the BIOS attempting to restore optimum functionality. 

“PROM-2?” Ignis Scientia asked, sounding confused and concerned. “Are you okay?”

“Some of my systems are malfunctioning,” he answered. “I don’t know why.” At least his verbal malfunction appears to have been resolved. 

Ignis Scientia peered at him. There was something in his expression. Not judgemental, not quite scientific study. He couldn’t pick a word for it, and his Lucian lexicon wasn’t booting up. “PROM-2, what will happen to you if you’re returned to the Besithia Facility?” He questioned. 

“My usable parts will be recycled and the rest will be scrapped,” PROM-2 answered. 

Ignis Scientia had some sort of unidentifiable muscle spasm, eyes widening at PROM-2. “You’ll be killed?”

He tilted his head. “I’ve had less than 10% of my Short Term memory capacity filled, combining today and yesterday. I don’t think it’s dying if you never lived.”

“Your personal philosophy aside,” Ignis Scientia said, his voice serious, “I am not going to permit that to happen. And once I explain it to Noct, neither will he. He may not wish to have you by his side, but he won’t desire to see you destroyed.”

He couldn’t help the fond warmth he felt at that, and the little smile it brought on his face. The rest of his emotional functions might be all over the place, but that was somewhere reassuring to focus. “That’s kind of him, though we hold no relationship.”

Ignis Scientia sighed, pushing up his spectacles further upon his face. “Still. He has required the use of his sitting room back.”

“Oh. Okay.” He stood up with a smile. “Where else should I go then?”

“You’ll be placed in your sleeping pod for now,” Ignis Scientia said, rising to his feet. He placed his hand on PROM-2’s arm and began to guide him towards the storage pod. 

WARNING: UNEXPECTED ERROR IN CARDIOPULMONARY FUNCTION  
WARNING: UNEXPECTED ERROR IN MOTOR FUNCTION

He struggled in Ignis Scientia’s grip, but his motor functions didn’t seem to respond. His feet dragged along the floor. 

“No!” he gasped out. “Please. Don’t.”

“PROM-2, I assure you. This isn’t a deception to send you back to the facility. Don’t worry about that.”

“Please!” he begged. 

WARNING: UNEXPECTED ERROR IN CARDIOPULMONARY FUNCTION  
WARNING: UNEXPECTED ERROR IN MOTOR FUNCTION  
WARNING: UNEXPECTED ERROR IN COGNITIVE FUNCTION.

“Please I don’t want to!”

“Relax, PROM-2,” Ignis Scientia said calmly. “Nothing will happen to you while you’re in here. You have my word.” Ignis Scientia pushed his unresponsive body into the shaped padding of the storage unit.

“Please!” PROM-2 begged. 

Ignis Scientia gave him a reassuring smile and closed the hatch of the storage pod. 

WARNING: UNEXPECTED ERROR IN CARDIOPULMONARY FUNCTION  
WARNING: UNEXPECTED ERROR IN MOTOR FUNCTION  
WARNING: UNEXPECTED ERROR IN COGNITIVE FUNCTION.  
WARNING: UNEXPECTED ERROR IN EMOTIONAL FUNCTION. 

PROM-2 screamed. 

  


  


…  


……  


REBOOTING SYSTEM: PERSONNEL RECREATION OPERATIONS MODEL UNIT 2.   
INITIALISING…   
RUNNING BIOS…  
ATTENTION: SECOND REBOOT.   
RUNNING FULL DIAGNOSTIC…   
/Cardiopulmonary Functions: Automatic 100%   
/Internal Temperature Regulatory System: 100%   
/Central Nervous System: 100%   
/Cognitive Processor: 100%   
/Emotional Processor: 100%   
/Short Term Memory Storage: at 5% Capacity   
/Long Term Memory Storage: Active, Disenaged   
DIAGNOSTIC COMPLETE   
RUNNING PROMDOS…   
/Language Lexicons: Lucian, 100% Fluency. Niflheim, 100% Fluency. Tennebraen, 50% Fluency   
/Personnel Index: 100%   
/Encyclopedic Information Index: 100%   
/Mathematic Cognition: [Error.] Limited Function   
/Language Comprehension: Fully Functional   
/Visual Comprehension: Fully Functional   
/Musical Comprehension: Capped at Limited Function   
/Spatial Awareness: Maximized Capacity   
/Human Empathy: Fully Functional   
/Imagination: Capped at Limited Function   
RUNNING OS… RUNNING OS SYSTEMS CHECK…   
/Social Customs and Expectations: Functional   
/Default Humour Setting: Randomized Variety   
/Emotional Processing Program: Functional   
RUNNING START UP PROGRAMS…   
ENGAGING SENSES…   
/PROPRIOCEPTIVE… COMPLETE   
WARNING: UNEXPECTED FLUCTUATION IN CARDIOPULMONARY FUNCTION.   
Continue?  
/VESTIBULAR… COMPLETE   
WARNING: UNEXPECTED ERROR IN CARDIOPULMONARY FUNCTION.   
Continue? /TACTILE… COMPLETE   
WARNING: UNEXPECTED ERROR IN CARDIOPULMONARY FUNCTION.  
WARNING: UNEXPECTED ERROR IN MOTOR FUNCTION.   
Continue?  
/AUDITORY… COMPLETE   
WARNING: UNEXPECTED ERROR IN CARDIOPULMONARY FUNCTION.  
WARNING: UNEXPECTED ERROR IN MOTOR FUNCTION.   
WARNING: UNEXPECTED ERROR IN COGNITIVE FUNCTION.   
Continue?  
/OLFACTORY… COMPLETE   
/GUSTATORY… COMPLETE   
/VISUAL… COMPLETE  
WARNING: UNEXPECTED ERROR IN CARDIOPULMONARY FUNCTION.  
WARNING: UNEXPECTED ERROR IN MOTOR FUNCTION.   
WARNING: UNEXPECTED ERROR IN COGNITIVE FUNCTION.   
WARNING: UNEXPECTED ERROR IN EMOTIONAL FUNCTION.   
WARNING: UNEXPECTED ERROR IN CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM.   
UNABLE TO CONTINUE.   
CANCELING REBOOT.   
RESTARTING… in  
3…  
2…  
1… 


	5. Combat Operations Replicant

REBOOTING SYSTEM: PERSONNEL RECREATION OPERATIONS MODEL UNIT 2.   
INITIALISING…   
RUNNING BIOS…  
ATTENTION: NINETY-EIGHTH REBOOT.   
RUNNING FULL DIAGNOSTIC…   
/Cardiopulmonary Functions: Automatic 100%   
/Internal Temperature Regulatory System: 100%   
/Central Nervous System: 100%   
/Cognitive Processor: 100%   
/Emotional Processor: 100%   
/Short Term Memory Storage: at 0% Capacity   
/Long Term Memory Storage: Active, Disenaged   
DIAGNOSTIC COMPLETE   
RUNNING PROMDOS…   
/Language Lexicons: Lucian, 100% Fluency. Niflheim, 100% Fluency. Tennebraen, 50% Fluency   
/Personnel Index: 100%.   
/Encyclopedic Information Index: 100%   
/Mathematic Cognition: [Error.] Limited Function   
/Language Comprehension: Fully Functional   
/Visual Comprehension: Fully Functional   
/Musical Comprehension: Capped at Limited Function   
/Spatial Awareness: Maximized Capacity   
/Human Empathy: Fully Functional   
/Imagination: Capped at Limited Function   
RUNNING OS… RUNNING OS SYSTEMS CHECK…   
/Social Customs and Expectations: Functional   
/Default Humour Setting: ERROR. Program switched to PUN.   
/Emotional Processing Program: ERROR. LIMITED FUNCTION.   
RUNNING START UP PROGRAMS…   
ENGAGING SENSES…   
/PROPRIOCEPTIVE… COMPLETE   
WARNING: UNEXPECTED FLUCTUATION IN CARDIOPULMONARY FUNCTION.   
Continue?  
/VESTIBULAR… COMPLETE   
WARNING: UNEXPECTED ERROR IN CARDIOPULMONARY FUNCTION.   
Continue? /TACTILE… COMPLETE   
WARNING: UNEXPECTED ERROR IN CARDIOPULMONARY FUNCTION.  
WARNING: UNEXPECTED ERROR IN MOTOR FUNCTION.   
Continue?  
/AUDITORY… COMPLETE   
WARNING: UNEXPECTED ERROR IN CARDIOPULMONARY FUNCTION.  
WARNING: UNEXPECTED ERROR IN MOTOR FUNCTION.   
WARNING: UNEXPECTED ERROR IN COGNITIVE FUNCTION.   
Continue?  
/OLFACTORY… COMPLETE   
/GUSTATORY… COMPLETE   
/VISUAL… COMPLETE  
WARNING: UNEXPECTED ERROR IN CARDIOPULMONARY FUNCTION.  
WARNING: UNEXPECTED ERROR IN MOTOR FUNCTION.   
WARNING: UNEXPECTED ERROR IN COGNITIVE FUNCTION.   
WARNING: UNEXPECTED ERROR IN EMOTIONAL FUNCTION.   
WARNING: UNEXPECTED ERROR IN CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM.   
UNABLE TO CONTINUE.   
CANCELING REBOOT.   
RESTARTING… in  
3…  
2…  
1… 

  


REBOOTING SYSTEM: PERSONNEL RECREATION OPERATIONS MODEL UNIT 2.   
INITIALISING…   
RUNNING BIOS…  
ATTENTION: ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH REBOOT.   
RUNNING FULL DIAGNOSTIC…  
/STOP

Manual Reboot Executed Externally MANUALLY REBOOTING SYSTEM: PERSONNEL RECREATION OPERATIONS MODEL UNIT 2.   
INITIALIZING…   
RUNNING BIOS IN SAFE MODE…   
BOOTING CARDIOPULMONARY FUNCTIONS… COMPLETE.   
BOOTING INTERNAL TEMPERATURE REGULATION FUNCTION… COMPLETE.   
BOOTING CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM… ERROR.   
/REBOOTING CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM AT LIMITED CAPACITY… COMPLETE   
BOOTING COGNITIVE PROCESSOR… ERROR.   
/REBOOTING COGNITIVE PROCESSOR AT LIMITED CAPACITY… COMPLETE.   
BOOTING EMOTIONAL PROCESSOR… COMPLETE.   
BOOTING SHORT TERM MEMORY STORAGE… COMPLETE.   
BOOTING LONG TERM MEMORY STORAGE… ERROR. CORRUPTED DATA. /ERASING CORRUPTED DATA /REBOOTING LONG TERM MEMORY STORAGE… COMPLETE. 

RUNNING PROMDOS IN SAFE MODE…   
/BOOTING Language Lexicons: Lucian, 100% Fluency. Niflheim, 100% Fluency. Tennebraen, 50% Fluency   
/BOOTING Personnel Index: ERROR. CORRUPTED DATA.   
//ERASING CORRUPTED DATA   
//ERROR: “Personnel Index” NO LONGER USABLE. PLEASE RESTORE FROM BACKUP.   
/BOOTING Encyclopedic Information Index: ERROR. CORRUPTED DATA.   
//ERASING CORRUPTED DATA.   
REBOOTING Encyclopedic Information Index: 37%   
/BOOTING Mathematic Cognition: Limited Function   
/BOOTING Language Comprehension: Fully Functional   
/BOOTING Visual Comprehension: Fully Functional   
/BOOTING Musical Comprehension: Capped at Limited Function   
/BOOTING Spatial Awareness: Maximized Capacity   
/BOOTING Human Empathy: Fully Functional   
/BOOTING Imagination: Capped at Limited Function   
RUNNING OS IN SAFE MODE… RUNNING OS SYSTEMS CHECK…   
/Social Customs and Expectations: Functional   
/Default Humour Setting: ERROR. Program switched to PUN.   
/Emotional Processing Program: ERROR. LIMITED FUNCTION.   
RUNNING START UP PROGRAMS…   
ENGAGING SENSES…   
/PROPRIOCEPTIVE… COMPLETE   
/VESTIBULAR… COMPLETE   
/TACTILE… COMPLETE   
/AUDITORY… COMPLETE 

“Kid? Kid? Can you hear me?!”

/OLFACTORY… COMPLETE   
/GUSTATORY… COMPLETE   
/VISUAL… COMPLETE 

GOOD AFTERNOON PROM-2

He fell forward as the restraints around his chest and wrists were slashed with some kind of long, thin sword. He was caught in sturdy, strong arms. He tilted his head back and stared at the stranger. He tried to access his Personnel Index but he only received an error in response. 

“Production Code and unit identification,” the stranger demanded. 

Okay that was easy. “Production Code Number 05953234,” he replied. “Unit Identification Personnel Recreational Operations Model Unit 2.”

“Unit two?” The stranger echoed. “Ardyn…?”

He nodded. “Commissioned by Ardyn Lucis Caelum for his godson.”

The stranger sighed and ruffled hands through his own hair. “My Unit identification is Combat Operations Replicant: Unit, Leonis. You can call me COR.”

“PROM-2.” 

“Can you stand on your own?” COR asked. 

He paused and ran a brief diagnostic. “Motor control functions running at limited capacity, COR.”

“Alright. Lean on me.” COR helped him over to the sofa and eased him into a lying down position. 

“COR? Did you manually reboot me?” He enquired hesitantly. 

“Yeah, kid.” He sat on the armchair and folded his arms across his chest. “Could hear you screaming across the network all day and night. Took me ages to track you down.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to project on to the network…”

“Pretty sure you weren’t doing it on purpose, kid.” COR looked serious. “So why were you in the box?”

“I…” He hesitated. Searched his long term memory storage for the answer. “I don’t know.”

“You know who put you in there?”

“No…” He **should** be able to remember. But he just couldn’t. His short term memory transfer must have failed, or the data had been deleted for some reason. He would have to check his logs during standby.

“I got one of those,” COR said, jerking his thumb towards the storage unit. “Helps me run standby procedures, and recharge my internal battery. But you don’t like being in there?”

“It’s not a docking station,” PROM-2 explained. “It’s just a storage unit. I can run standby operations and recharge without assistance.”

COR studied him, then looked back at the storage unit. “Seems like a lot of effort to go to for a companion bot.”

PROM-2 nodded. “I have… a malfunction,” he replied. “Being inside the storage unit for extended periods of time causes my systems to fail. Besithia said it would cost less to automatise my sleep mode functions than to search the code for the cause of the malfunction.”

COR studied him carefully for a moment. “What’s your assignment? Befriend the prince?”

Who? “To befriend Noct,” PROM-2 corrected. 

COR gave him a frowning look. “And Noct… he won't take you, huh?”

“No, COR,” he answered. “He has commanded that I be returned to the Facility.”

“And if you go back, you’ll be scrapped and recycled.”

PROM-2 nodded. COR understood. He was an Android too. 

“Well. I ain’t gonna sit by and watch that happen.” He rose to his feet. “Come with me kid. You and I are gonna go have a chat with someone important.”

**Author's Note:**

> One of my online friends suggested I start a discord server for people who read my fics to be able to interact with each other and with me. [So I did!](https://discord.gg/pR3GVhu) Feel free to drop in.


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